Circuit-closer for trolley-signals.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

H. E. BRADLEY. CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR TROLLEY SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.19,1904.

w Mn all ML,

Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT rrrcn.

HAROLD E. BRADLEY, OF WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR TROLLEY-SIGNALS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,689, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed October 19, 1904:. Serial No. 229,103-

1'0 a w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HAROLD E. BRADLEY, a resident of the town of Warwick, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers for Trolley-Signals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to automatic signaling apparatus for trolley-cars, and has for its object to provide a circuit-closer that is preferably mounted on or near the trolley-wire for operating the signals, said circuit-closer being actuated through a depending lever which comes in contact with the passing trolley-car. The contact made by the trolleycar upon the actuating-lever is very short, even if the car is running at a moderate speed, and if the car is proceeding at a high speed the contact will be so short as to be ineffective. Means, therefore, have been provided for prolonging the contact period to a suitable length of time to properly operate the signals.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the same that a single actuating-lever may be employed in conjunction with a pair of contacts, so that by moving said lever in one direction one of said contacts will be closed and when moving in the opposite direction the other contact will be closed.

This invention is also provided with a retarding device whereby a prolonged closure of the circuit is obtained whenever either contact of the pair is closed by the movement of the actuating-lever when moving in either direction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same looking down on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of one of the contact-arms, showing the action of the spring upon it. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the actuating-lever. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the means on the arms 12 for actuating the arms 32 when said lever 12 descends.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is the base of the frame that supports the mechanism. 2 is the top of said frame, and 3 the intermediate bar, both of which are supported from said base by the end uprights 44 and the side upright 5 5. supported by the trolley-wire.

In the detail description of the device I will refer to one side only, the opposite side being an exact and independent duplication thereof, being actuated only when the car passes in'the opposite direction.

The actuating-lever 6 is pivotally hung at 7 in theframe to swing either forward or back when engaged by the passing trolley-car (not shown) going in either direction. The lower end of this lever is forked at 8 for the purpose of straddling the trolley-wire 9 and being engaged by the passing trolley-wheel. (Not shown.) In the upper end of this lever is set a roll 10, which roll engages the downwardly-extending portion 11 of the knee-lever 12. This lever is pivotally hung in the frame at 13, its outer end 14 being connected to the piston 15 by the connecting-rod 16. At 17 is a dash-pot composed of a cylinder in which the piston slides vertically, said cylinder being held firmly in suitable bearings 18 and 19 in the frame and secured in position by the threaded portion 20 of the valve-head 21, which is screwed down into it through the frame above. In this valve-head is drilled a hole 22 from its upper end down part way through it, forming a chamber for the reception of the ball-valve 23, which valve controls the flow of air into and out of said cylinder. A smaller hole 24: is then made, communicating with the cylinder and leaving a seat on which the ballvalve sits. The upper end of this chamber is closed by the screw 26, and two holes 25 are drilled transversely through the head to allow the air to escape from the cylinder when the valve is raised as the piston 15 is forced up quickly in the cylinder. At A1 are drilled a series of holes through the walls of said cylinder, so that when the piston on its downward stroke shall have passed the holes the air is at once admitted through them and the vacuum broken, allowing said piston to fall quickly the remainder of the stroke.

This framework is preferably 7 IOO At 27 is a U-shaped contact-plate, suspended and insulated at 31 from the top of the frame 2. To this contact is connected the wire 28, which Wire leads down below the frame and up through a suitable conductor 29 on the end thereof. The purpose of sending the wires down through the frame and up on the ends is to prevent going through the case or covering 30, thereby allowing said case to be freely removed for inspection and repairs without disturbing the electrical connections.

Another of the features which is of great importance in a device of this character is a quick make and break of the connection with the contact-plate, to accomplish which I have provided a long arm 32, pivoted at its lower end 33 and supplied at its upper end with contact-bosses 34, that are arranged to engage the U-shaped contact-plate 27 when said arm is thrown forward. This arm is forced out of connection with the contact-plate by the drop ping of the weighted piston 15, which forces down the knee-lever 12. On this lever 12 is a boss or projection 39, and threaded through this boss is the adjustable screw 38, the end of which engages the lower portion of said arm when the lever is nearly down and forces the upper end of said arm to be thrown over quickly and break the connection with the contact-plate. The weight of the piston and knee-lever holds the arm in the rear position, as shown in Fig. 1, against the tension of the actuating-spring 35. This spring acts to throw the contact-arm forward as soon as it is released by the upward movement of the kneelever 12. An excess forward motion of this arm is prevented by the stop-screw 36, that is thread ed through the finger 37, extending outward from the lower portion of said arm. At 40 is a stop-screw threaded into the base-plate for preventing an excess downward motion of the knee-lever.

The operation of the circuit-closer above described is as follows: Normally the actuating-lever 6 and the arm 32 and knee-lever are in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the car passes in either direction, the trolley-wheel comes in contact with the actuating-lever 6 and throws it in the direction of the moving car, the upper end of this lever moves in the opposite direction and throws up one of the knee-levers, and duringthe first part of its stroke a rapid motion is imparted to the piston 15 in the dash-pot. As the piston rises the ball-valve 23 is forced up by the pressure of air, which escapes out through the ventholes 26 in the valve-head. As soon as the contact-arm 32 is released by the raising of knee-lever it immediately jumps forward under the pressure of the actuating-spring and' makes an instantaneous connection with the contact-plates 27. As the piston begins to descend in the cylinder the ball-valve in its head automatically closes. the air-passage,

thereby retarding the descent of said piston until it passes the holes 41 in the cylinder, when it falls quickly and throws the said arm out of contact, breaking the connection almost instantaneously. The quick make and break of the connections in devices of this character where high tension currents are used are, as is well known, vital to its practical working. The retarding of the return action of the piston allows the contact-arm to remain in connection a sufficient length of time to insure a completion of the circuit and a consequent operation of the signals.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is-

1. In a circuit-closer, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a contact, a pair of contactarms, means for actuating one of said contactarms by a passing car to engage its contact, and means whereby said contact-arm will not be started to move from its contact until the piston has traveled a portion of its return stroke.

2. In a circuit-closer, a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms, means for actuating said contact-arms by passing cars to engage the contacts, and means whereby said contactarms will not be started to move from said contacts until the piston has traveled a portion of its return stroke.

3. In a circuit-closer, a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms pivoted at their lower ends, a two-way-moving actuating-lever pivotally hung, means whereby one of said contact-arms will be released and automatically thrown to close the circuit when a passing car engages and moves said actuating-lever, and means for automatically prolonging the period of contact.

4:. In a circuit-closer, a pair of contacts, a pair of long, spring-pressed, contact-arms pivoted at one end, means for throwing said arms into connection with the said contacts, a dashpot for prolonging the period of contact and means whereby said arms will be thrown out of contact quickly when the dash-pot piston approaches the lower end of its stroke.

5. In acircuit-closer, a pair of cylinders containing pistons, a pair of contacts,a pair of contact-arms, means whereby one of said pistons is forced in by a car passing in one direction, and means whereby when said piston is forced in the corresponding contact-arm is released and allowed to close the circuit, and when said piston nears the end of its return stroke said arm is actuated to quickly break the connection.

6. In a circuit-closer, a pair ofcylinders containing pistons,a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms, means whereby one of said pistons is forced in by a car passing in one direction, and means whereby when said piston is forced in the corresponding contact-arm is released and allowed to close the circuit, and means whereby said piston may return and move quickly when nearing the end of its stroke causing said arm to be actuated quickly to break the connection.

7. In a circuit-closer, a cylinder containing a piston, a contact, a contact-arm, means whereby said piston is forced in by a car passing in one direction, and means whereby when said piston is forced in the contact-arm is released and allowed to close the circuit, and means whereby said piston may return and move quickly when nearing the end of its stroke causing said arm to be actuated quickly to break the connection.

8. In a circuit-closer, a pair of cylinders containing pistons, a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms, means whereby one of said pistons is forced up by a car passing in one direction, and the other of said pistons is forced up when a carpasses in the opposite direction, and means whereby when either of said pistons is forced up, the corresponding contactarm is released and allowed to close the. circuit, and means whereby said piston may re turn by gravity and drop quickly near the end of its stroke causing said arm to be actuated quickly to break the connection.

9. In a circuit-closer, a suitable frame for supporting the mechanism, a pair of contacts insulated from said frame, connecting-wires leading from said contact down through the bottom of said frame and up on either end thereof, a case inclosing the circuit-closing mechanism capable of being removed without disturbing the connecting-wires.

10. In a circuit-closer, a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms, means for actuating one of the arms to close the circuit each time a car passes, means for automatically prolonging the period of contact, a removable case surrounding the mechanism of said closer and means whereby said case may be removed without breaking the connections to said closer.

11. In a circuit-closer, a pair of contacts, a pair of long, spring-pressed, contact-arms pivoted at their lower ends, a dash-pot composed of a cylinder and piston, a ball-valve in the end of said cylinder for controlling the descent of said piston in said cylinder to prolong the period of contact, and means whereby said arms will be thrown out of contact when said piston approaches the lower end of its stroke.

12. In a circuit-closer, a frame supported on a trolley-wire, an actuating-lever pivoted in the frame and depending therefrom into the pathof the trolley-wheel, two knee-levers pivoted in the frame one on each side of said actuating-lever, two dash-pots, pistons in said dash-pots connected to said knee-levers, a pair of contacts, a pair of contact-arms pivoted near their lower ends, springs to move the arms into connection with said contacts and means on the knee-levers to engage and move said arms out of engagement with said contacts.

13. In a circuit-closer, the combination of a trolley-wire, a frame supported by the same, an actuating-lever pivotally hung and depending into the path of the trolley-wheel, a roller pivoted in the upper part of said lever two knee-levers pivoted in the frame one at either side of the actuating-lever, a pair of dash-pots, a piston in each dash-pot connected to each knee-lever, contacts attached to the frame and insulated therefrom, contact arms pivoted near their lower ends and carrying contactbosses at their upper ends, springs to move said arms into connection with the contacts, and means attached to the knee-levers to engage and move the arms out of contact,when the plunger approaches its lowest point.

let. In a circuit-closer, the combination of a trolley-wire, a frame supported by the same, an actuating-lever pivoted in the frame and depending therefrom into the path of the wheel, aroller pivoted in said lever, two knee-levers pivoted in the frame one on either side of said actuating-levers, a pair of cylinders, a ballvalve in the end of each of said cylinders, a plunger in each cylinder connected to each knee-lever, contacts attached to the frame and insulated therefrom, said contacts being made of sheet metal bent in a U shape, a pair of contact-arms pivoted near their lower ends, springs to move said arms into connection with the contacts and means whereby said levers will be thrown out of engagement with said contacts when said piston descends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 18th day of October, A. D. 1904.

HAROLD E. BRADLEY. In presence of- HOWARD E. BARLow, E. I. OGDEN. 

